Machine-gun carriage.



G. T. BUCKHAM & F. SMITH. MACHINE GUN CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9.1915.

1,289,641 Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

G. T. BUCKHAM L F. SMITH. MACHINE GUN CARRIAGE. APPLlcATIoN man ocT.9.1915.

1,289,6@ Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 v ifa/Z4 UNTTED sTATEs PATENT` ermee.

GEORGE THoMAs BUCKHAM, or wEsTMINsTER, LoNDoN, AND ,FRANK` SMITH, 0E

woLvERHAMPToN, ENGLAND. AssIGNoRs To vIcKERs LIMITED, or wEsTMINT sTER, ENGLAND.

MAoMINEcUN CARRIAGE.

Specication of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 31` 1918,

Application filed october e, 1915. serial No. 55,122.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM and FRANK SMITH, both subjects of the King ofl Great Britain, residing, respectively, `at Vickers House, Broadway, Westminster, in the county of London, England, and Pelham street, Wolverhampton, in the county of. Stafford, England, have invented `certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Machine-Gun Carriages, 0f which the following is a. specifica tion.

This invention relates to cycle side-cars adapted to carry automatic guns.

According to this invention we so construct and arrange the side-car that an automatic gun together with its tripod mounting can be supported thereon in one or other oftwo positions, so that the gun can fire either in a forward `or a rearward direction asrequired. For this purpose the sidei car may have two bed plates or supports one arranged at the forward and the other at the rear part of the side-car; these bed plates are adapted to receive the tripod mounting so that in changingthe position of the gun, the mounting and the gun as a whole can be moved from one bed plate or support t0 the other. The said bed plates or supports may be provided with quick release catches. Y

The seat for the gunner is movable or adjustable so as to suit either of the two positionsgof the gun, and for this purpose may be carried on a` swing framework, attached to a vertical pivot about which it may be swung. 'This verticalvpivot is so placed that the seat assumes two different positions suitable for enabling the gunner to fire in` either direction, the seat beingrthe same distance from the breech end of the gun ineach case. The framework for the seat may be provided with a stop which serves as a support for the base of the tripod leg.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and carried into effect the same will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawing, in whichz Figure l is an elevation of a motor cycle provided with a side car constructed according to the invention, the gun and gunners seat being shown in full lines for firing in the direction in which the cycle is traveling,

and in dot-dash lines for firing in a rear- Vard direction.

F ig. 2 is a plan of the cycle and side-car with the gun removed in order to show the disposition of the bed plates or supports for the gun. i

Fig. 3 is a front view and Fig. Il is a detail view showing the manner of swiveling the gunners sea A and B, are the horizontal bed plates or supports of approximately trian ular formation located respectively at the J orward and rearward portions of the side car frame. C are the quick release catches carried lby the bed plates said Vcatches being adapted to engage with the mounting` D of the gun so as to hold it rmly in position. The said quick release catches C are constructed and adapted to operate in the manner set forth in United States application, Serial No. 55793. In placing the gun and its mountingl in position on the front or the rear bed plate, the front legs a of the tripod (one of which is shown in Fig. l) arefirst folded against the rear leg .or trail I), straps being used if necessary to keep them in this position. The spade of of the rear leg-is caused to engage with a suitable abutment L carried by the gunner-s seatA E, and the mounting D is lowered on to one of the aforesaid bed plates. The quick release catches 'C are then moved to the voperative position Aand the gun is firmly secured tothe bed plate.y and is ready to be transported by the side car and fired when .in this position. 3In order to detach the mounting` to enable the gun to be moved` from the front. bed plate to the rear bed plate of the car, orvice versa, the above mentioned operations are reversed. It will be obvious that when the car is not traveling; the gun and its `tripod may be bodily removed and placed on the ground for firing. VAmmunition trays E and ffoot rests F for the gunner are provided at the front and rear of the side car.

E is the gunners seat which is carried by the aforesaid swing framework; this framework has a horizontal pivot c and a vertical pivot e2 about which the seatcan be swung when changing from one position to the other for which purpose as shown in Fig. 4, the seat is first raised on its hori- Vzontal pivotV e and then swung about its vertical pivot e.

Suitable provision may be made at the rear oit the side-car to accommodate a frame structure F for carrying ammunition, water, spare parts, and tools. This A'frame struc-- ture, whichforms no part of the present in-V vention, may be supported from Vthe side.-

fcar by suitable spring arrangements, sotliat the jolting of the frame structure and `its contents, due to road shocks, will not be transmitted tothe side-car. I

At the front f the side-car are provided shields G, G. consisting of an upper and i lower part. Thev lower part G is rigidly y attached to the side car while Ythe 'upper part G is attached to the upper carriageof the gun and swivels with the same in training. The upper part of the shield, being attached to the upper carriage., is Vutilized for protecting the gunner when-firing' either to the front or to the rear. Y l

' Wha-t we claim and desire to :secure'by Letters Patent ofthe United States isal. A'cycle side car provided with means for supporting thereon any automaticiv or 'other machine gun together with its tripod in one or other of two positions so that theY gun can Y lire either in a forward or a rearward direc-v tion as required. .y

t 2. A cycle side car provided with means for supporting thereon an automatic or other v machine gun together with itsV tripod Vin one l machine guntogether with its tripod in one or other of `two positions for-forward or rearward firing, a seat .for thegunner, mea-ns for adjusting said seat to' suit. either of the two positions'o the gun, and means `for attaching `said side car to a cycle.,-

eL; Alcycle' side carprovided. with two *vloed plates yor supports one at .the frontlandthe` other at-the rear partof the side car, and Y means for detachablysecuring an automatic or 'other machine `gun, together4 with its tripod, to one or otherof said vsupports for forward or rearward tiring. l `f Cogie'sofths patentl maybe-obtained for five cents each, addressing lthe Commissioner df Ilatentis,

lplates or supports one at the Vrfront 'and the other at( the rear part of vthe side car, means `for detachably securing an automatic or other machine gun, together with its tripod, to one'or other ofrsaid supports for forward or rearwardiring, averticalpivot carried by the side car, and a gunners seat 'rotatably attached to said pivot so that it can he swung around said pivot to suit'either of the two positions of the gun.

G. A cycle side car providedrwith two bed plates or supports one at the front and the other at kthe rear part of the side car, means for detachably securing an automatic gun, together' with its tripod, tolone or other of said supports for forward or rearward firing, a seat for the gunner, means for adjusting said vseat to suit either of thevtwo positions of the gun, and means carriedl by the framework of the seat for'supp'orting one of the' tripod legsfin either of the two positions of the gun.

7. A cycle side car provided' with two bed plates or supports one at the front and the other at the rear-part of the side car', means 'for detachaoiy securing an autfnnactieY Yor other machine gun together with its tripod to one or other of said supports'forvforward or rearward firing, aseat for the gunner, ineans'ffor supporting' said Yseat se thatit can be swung horizontally through an angle of 180, means carried 'by said'seat for supj porting Vone'opv the tripod'jleg's in' either" the two positions 0f the gun,and means for p eonnectin said Vside car to a. cycle.

ha, A Cycle ad@ ear provided with: two bed i yplat-es or supports one at the front-andthe vother at the rear ofthe side car, means; for rapidly attaching ordetaching an automatic or lother Yinacnine gun together with-its tripod to or from oneLor other of 'saidfsupportg Y a seat for the gunner, and meansoradj'u'sting,` said seat'to suit either of the two 'positionsof the-guur* f A Y In' testimony whereofl we fafx' our rsigna# tures inthe 'presenceoftwofwitne'sses.

1 eEoaeETHo'MAs BUCKHAM. n FRANK y l f' Y. 'itnesse's':V JNoJ-R. GAswELI@V -GLADYsMfBARnENL 

